The Wizards did the dirty work — defense and rebounding — in their 93-86 playoff-opening loss Saturday at Cleveland.
They held the Cavaliers to 39.5 percent shooting from the floor. And against a team that out-rebounded them 147-96 in their previous three meetings, the Wizards (42) played the Cavaliers (43) to a virtual standoff on the boards.
So why did Washington lose its eighth straight playoff series opener? Their offense was spotty and they let Cleveland get inside in the final four minutes. Here’s what Washington needs to do Monday night to even the score:
Run the offense » In coach Eddie Jordan’s Princeton set, the Wizards are in constant motion and share the ball. That didn’t happen in the fourth quarter Saturday when they hit 4 of 20 shots, missing 11 in a row during a fateful 11-0 Cleveland run in the final four minutes.
When Gilbert Arenas is on the floor, he determines possessions. It can be a good thing, as was the case in the first half when he produced four 3-pointers and an assist during an 18-3 run. It can be a bad thing, as was thecase in the final period, when Cleveland collapsed on him, forcing passes to the perimeter that teammates failed to convert.
“Gil does a great job of driving and kicking,” said Jordan. “But I’d like to see a little more flow, everybody touching the ball.”
Make shots » OK, it doesn’t take a genius to know that 33 of 82 (40.2 percent) shooting from the floor and 6 of 24 from 3-point range (25 percent) will not get it done. The answer is not simply to make shots, but to get better ones. To do that, the Wizards need to open the floor with quicker transitions and attack the basket in the half court.
Guards DeShawn Stevenson and Roger Mason combined to hit only 1 of 13 shots Saturday. Both have thrived this season in the Princeton offense, getting perimeter looks off screens and cuts. But with Arenas playing more minutes Saturday, their catch-and-shoot rhythm wasn’t there.
Antawn Jamison produced 23 points and 19 rebounds, but settled for eight 3-point attempts, hitting just one. He got to the foul line only once. Cleveland shot 37 free throws to Washington’s 17.
“We didn’t drive the ball enough. We didn’t get to the free throw line,” said Jordan. “I know they shot 20 more free throws than us. But that’s nobody’s fault but ours. When you are in the bonus with 7:30 to go, you’ve got to get the ball to the basket. We settled and we missed.”
Use their athletic ability » With the exception of LeBron James, Cleveland has inferior athletes at every position. To use that to their advantage, the Wizards need to run.
Creating turnovers is the best way to open the floor, but the Wizards forced only eight Saturday. They also need quick outlet passes on defensive rebounds and made shots. The Cavaliers were thrilled to see Arenas walking the ball up the floor in the fourth quarter. It plays into their hands.
“I was tired. I really didn’t have my legs under me,” said Arenas.
Guard the paint » The Wizards had some success keeping LeBron James (32 points) on the perimeter on Saturday. They didn’t do it, however, during the Cavs decisive 11-0 run when James got six of his points with drives to the rim.
To keep James quiet, the Wizards need Brendan Haywood in the game and out of foul trouble. Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas (22 points, 11 rebounds) did much of his damage in the third period when Haywood went to the bench.
“LeBron made plays at the basket,” said Jordan. “We had cut off a lot of those plays early, but we let it happen in the fourth quarter. We need to shore up some things and make some minor adjustments.”
Take care of the ball » The Wizards’ 13 turnovers Saturday weren’t excessive, but the Cavaliers seized on them. LeBron Jamesconverted two uncharacteristically sloppy passes, one in each half, by Antonio Daniels into crowd-energizing dunks that were worth more than the two points that registered on the score board.
